The present invention has particular utility in the manufacture of garment pattern pieces and will be described herein as directed to such use. Generally, garment pattern pieces are fabricated by positioning one or more layers of sheet-type work material on a cutter table. A cutting head movably mounted on the cutter table traverses the length and width of the work material cutting the pattern pieces from the layers, in response to commands issued from a controller. The support surface upon which the work material is positioned is usually a conveyor comprised in-part by a plurality of slats positioned consecutively in a side-by-side relationship relative to one another, longitudinally of the cutter table. Collectively, the slats form a support surface for carrying the work material during the performance of a work operation.
In prior art cutter tables, each slat is usually coupled to a conveyor drive mechanism that includes a pair of chains, spaced apart relative to one another and extending longitudinally along the cutter table. Generally, the chains are driven by rotatable sprockets mounted to the cutter table at opposite ends thereof. Since the cutter tables are as wide as possible to accommodate large fabric widths, the slats have a tendency to sag between the chains. This causes the surface upon which the work material is supported to be cambered rather than flat which has the potential to cause the production of inaccurately cut pattern pieces.
Upon completion of a cutting operation, the work material is generally conveyed from the cutter table to what is referred to by those skilled in the pertinent art as a "take-off table." To accommodate the transition from the cutter table to the take-off table, a ramped surface composed of a number of finger-like extensions projects from, and across the take-off table onto the cutter table. A problem associated with large portions of the slats being unsupported, is that the slats have a tendency to be overly flexible and to "bounce" causing gaps to open and close between the ramped surface and the slats. This can result in the work material being misfed into the gaps rather than onto the take-off table, thereby damaging the cut pattern pieces.
Another problem associated with the above-described unsupported slat spans, is that as the slats move along the cutter table, they can pile on top of one another, a phenomena referred to as "shingling." When this occurs, the integrity of the cutting operation can be compromised, and the operation of the cutter table must be interrupted adding to the time and expense associated with producing the pattern pieces.
Based on the foregoing, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a conveyorized cutter table that overcomes the above-described drawbacks of prior art cutter tables.
It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide increasingly wide conveyorized cutter tables, wherein the slats and thereby the work material are adequately driven and supported during the performance of a work operation, without the sagging or shingling problems associated with prior art cutter tables.